Posted by gerard on October 17, 2008 under Saltwater Fish | 
The Twospined Angelfish, Dusky Angelfish, or Coral Beauty (Centropyge bispinosa), is an omnivorous marine angelfish. Some individuals have a dark purplish blue body with yellow to red stripes, and usually an electric blue rim; in others are orange stripes dominate, with the purple distributed in spots. Some bright orange forms are very similar in appearance to the golden angelfish, Centropyge aurantia. The twospined angelfish is native to the Indo-Pacific where it lives in coral reefs and lagoons. It reaches a maximum length of 3 inches (8 cm). It eats algae.
When kept in an aquarium they are distributed throughout the tank. They prefer reef tanks over fish only tanks, but are suitable for both. This species does not seem to be suitable for beginners, as the difficulty is rated high.
Tags: angel, angelfish, aquarium, aquariums, Coral, Coral Beauty Angel, corals, fish, marine, reef, Saltwater Fish, tank
Posted by gerard on October 16, 2008 under Saltwater Fish |
The Copperband Butterflyfish, Chelmon rostratus, also commonly called the Beak Coralfish, is found in reefs in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This butterflyfish is one of the three species in the genus Chelmon, all being known for having longer beaks.
In the aquarium
Copperband butterflyfish can grow to 8 inches (20 cm) but in a home aquarium are usually found at half that size.[citation needed] They do well at a normal reef temperature range of 75 to 84 °F (24 to 29 °C), with a tank size of at least 75 gallons[vague] with lots of live rock to graze on. This species is not reef safe. It will eat many invertebrates, including parasitic forms such as Calliactis parasitica (Parasitic anemone).
Buy at saltwaterfish.com.
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Text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Posted by gerard on October 15, 2008 under Saltwater Fish |
Lionfish is any of several species of venomous marine fish in the genera Pterois, Parapterois, Brachypterois, Ebosia or Dendrochirus, of the family Scorpaenidae. The lionfish is also known as the Turkey Fish, Dragon Fish or Scorpion Fish. They are notable for their extremely long and separated spines, and have a generally striped appearance, red, brown, orange, yellow, black, maroon, or white.
Native environment
The lionfish is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific region of the world, but various species can be found worldwide. Due to a recent introduction, the lionfish has recently been spotted in the warmer coral regions of the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Lionfish are an invasive species in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea regions. Successful breeding of the lionfish in captivity has not been looked upon.
Size
The common lionfish generally reaches a size of 30-35cm. Smaller lionfish (e.g., the Fuzzy Dwarf) are typically the size of a tennis ball (not including fins). There are many types of lionfish that vary in size. The lionfish has been one of the most venomous fish in the ocean bottom floor.
Venom
Lionfish have venomous spines that are deadly to their prey, but usually not to humans (though the venom is used purely for defense, not attack). If a human is envenomed, that person will experience severe pain and possible headaches and vomiting. A common treatment is soaking the afflicted area in hot water, as very few hospitals carry specific treatments. However, immediate emergency medical treatment is still advised, as some people may be more susceptible to the venom than others.
Feeding
Lionfish are voracious predators. When hunting, they corner prey using their large fins and then use their quick reflexes to swallow the prey whole. In captivity, lionfish can be trained to eat frozen brine shrimp, mysis, and krill.
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Text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Posted by gerard on October 13, 2008 under Saltwater Fish |
The flame angel, Centropyge loricula, is a marine angelfish of the family Pomacanthidae found in tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean at depths of between 15 and 60 m. Its length is up to 15 cm. The flame angel is found in clear lagoon and seaward reefs from the lower surge zone to a depth of 60 m. It is secretive and stays near shelter. It feeds on algae and forms harems of 3 to 7 individuals. Coloration is bright orange-red with a vertical elongate black blotch and 4 or 5 bars on the sides, the posterior part of the dorsal and anal fins with alternating short purple-blue and black bands. Specimens from the Marquesas lack the vertical black bars.
In the aquarium
It has been reared in captivity. Frequently exported through the aquarium trade. In captivity, this species feeds on a variety of food including live brine shrimp, frozen meaty foods as well as spirulina, seaweed sheets and pellets. Easy to feed. The Flame Angel is known to be shy upon introduction to an established aquarium (especially smaller specimens) but within a week will gain confidence and is then constantly seen grazing around live rock during the day. Will fight with other fish if challenged for space or kept with similar species (dwarf angels) in a small tank. Some texts advise that this should be a final addition to a tank.
Range
It is found in various reefs of Oceania, most common in Marshall, Line, and Cook Islands. The fish is also, although less commonly, found in the Hawaiian islands.
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Tags: angel, angelfish, aquarium, aquariums, fish, Flame Angel, marine, reef, rock, Saltwater Fish, tank
Posted by gerard on October 11, 2008 under Saltwater Fish |
The mandarinfish or mandarin dragonet, is a small, brightly-colored member of the dragonet family, popular in the saltwater aquarium trade. The mandarinfish is native to the Western Pacific, ranging approximately from the Ryukyu Islands south to Australia. It is also somewhat misleadingly known as the mandarin goby, due to its resemblance to blennies and gobies. Other trade names include “green mandarinfish”, “striped mandarinfish”, or “psychedelic fish”. The name psychedelic mandarin is also used for a closely related species, the picturesque dragonet, Synchiropus picturatus.
Mandarinfish are reef dwellers, preferring sheltered lagoons and inshore reefs. While they are slow-moving and fairly common within their range, they are not easily seen due to their bottom-feeding habit and their small size (reaching only about 6 cm). They feed primarily on small crustaceans and other invertebrates. The name of the mandarinfish comes from its extremely vivid coloration, evoking the robes of an Imperial Chinese mandarin.
Despite their popularity in the aquarium trade, mandarinfish are considered difficult to keep, as their feeding habits are very specific. Some fish never adapt to aquarium life, refusing to eat anything but live amphipods and copepods (as in the wild), though individuals that do acclimatize to aquarium food are considered to be quite hardy and highly resistant to diseases such as ich. They can not contract the disease Ichthyophthirius because they do not have the skin type that this common aquarium disease affects.
The similarly named mandarin fish, Siniperca chuatsi, properly known as the Chinese perch, is only distantly related.
Buy at saltwaterfish.com.
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Text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Tags: aquarium, aquariums, blenny, fish, Goby, Green Mandarin, marine Saltwater Fish, Nano Reef, reef, reef dwellers, saltwater, tank
